The Baltimore Orioles had one job this past weekend: sweep the Milwaukee Brewers , or at least win the series, to stay alive in the hunt for a Wild Card spot. Instead, they got swept themselves and are virtually out of the playoff picture despite winning on Monday.
It's probably time to start thinking about the 2027 campaign, if we have one, of course, due to the looming lockout. With Adley Rutschman traded, Jackson Holliday failing to establish himself as an above-average contributor, Felix Bautista coming back from a long injury absence, and Trevor Rogers set to hit the market, these are five of the Orioles' foundational pieces for the 2027 campaign:
Of course, the Polar Bear needed to be on the list. Yes, he's 31, but he has four seasons left on his contract with the Orioles and there's a good chance he is fairly productive in most, if not all of them. For now, he's showing absolutely no signs of aging.
After Monday's two-homer game, the first baseman is slashing .265/.359/.510 with 40 round-trippers, 108 RBI, and a career-high 144 wRC+, tied with his rookie season output back in 2019 when he hit 53 balls out of the park.
Alonso may not do much defensively or on the basepaths, but he sure can hit a ball far very often. As long as that's the case, he'll be a core piece of the Orioles' lineup.
Basallo's 2026 campaign wasn't brilliant, but it's important to put things in context. His numbers from the start of the season until July 19, when he went down with a shoulder injury, were actually very solid: .241/.305/.450 with 16 long balls and a 111 wRC+.
Since returning on August 19, he has hit a disappointing .154/.239/.244 with a 40 wRC+, so it's possible he's still hurt or is still regaining his rhythm at the plate.
Overall, the recently extended young catcher has hit 18 balls over the fence this year, with a 95 wRC+ in 399 plate appearances. That's valuable experience that will help him improve in 2027.
Before the start of the 2026 campaign, big things were expected from Gunnar Henderson. People in baseball, especially Orioles fans, know what he's capable of, after all: he has a 7.9-fWAR season in 2024 and has surpassed 4.5 in two separate occasions on top of that.
The infielder, however, has disappointed with a 103 wRC+ and a .227 batting average in 690 plate appearances this year. He does have 24 home runs, 10 steals, and 3.7 fWAR, but it has been a subpar campaign for him.
Still 25, Henderson can get back on track next year but he will need support from his own organization. In any case, he could fetch a haul in the trade market, but still has the potential to do big things in Baltimore.
One of the best things of the lost season has been Mayo's development. The 24-year-old's career-high in home runs was 11 heading into 2026, and his best wRC+ had been 95. Well, he now has 24 round-trippers and a solid 113 wRC+.
He's not a particularly good defender or baserunner, and his plate discipline is suspect , but Mayo can hit, especially against lefties, against whom he boasts an explosive .315/.384/.713 line. If he can improve his 61 wRC+ against righties, he could take another step forward, but examining just his second-half numbers while facing right-handed hurlers , we start to see some considerable progress: he is hitting a much better .221/.289/.462 with a 109 wRC+ in 114 trips to the plate against them.
Baz was much better in 2026 than his 4.11 ERA indicates. He has a 3.62 FIP and 3.3 fWAR in 179.2 innings, by far a career-high. If the O's put a better defense behind him, that ERA could very well drop in 2027.
Baz could very well be the nominal ace of this staff if Rogers walks and if Kyle Bradish doesn't bounce back. He is still 27, entering his prime, and has a lot to prove.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/orioles/onsi as 5 Orioles Building Blocks For The 2027 Season .
